The Latest in IT Security

Backscatter X-ray screening machines proved too invasive and controversial for airports, but apparently theyre getting a new lease on life at US prisons. According to Federal Times, 154 of the full-body scanners have already been distributed to prisons in states including Iowa, Louisiana, and Virginia. Rapiscan, the vendor of those scanners, failed to meet a Congressionally-mandated deadline that called for nude, full-body images to be replaced with a more generic representation of passengers being screened. 96 of the scanners remain at Rapiscans warehouse, though the TSA says it will continue trying to find new destinations for them. TSA and the vendor are working with other government agencies interested in receiving the units for their security mission needs and for use in a different environment, a spokesperson told Federal Times.